The Academy Awards Will Leave Broadcast TV and Stream on the Video Platform Starting in 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will begin broadcasting solely on YouTube in 2029, marking the latest major shift in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars revealed the news on this week, indicating that it finalized a multi-year deal granting YouTube the unique international license to the Oscars up to 2033.
The Oscars, set for March 15th, has been broadcast for a half a century on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the ceremony will be available as a free live stream on YouTube.
This is one more substantial shakeup in Hollywood, which is grappling with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, in addition to severe reductions in filming.
"Our Academy represents an international organization, and this collaboration will permit us to broaden reach to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible - which will be advantageous for our film artists and the film community," remarked Academy leadership in a announcement.
For many years, ratings of the ceremony have dropped, though there was a small rise in 2025, with a considerable amount of younger viewers streaming from cell phones and computers.
In a related comment, YouTube's CEO called the Oscars "among our essential cultural institutions" and said that teaming up with the Academy would "inspire a fresh wave of artistic expression and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars' celebrated legacy".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the awards since 1976, commented that it was looking forward "to hosting the event three more times" it will still host.
The move coincides with film industry giants face intricate takeover attempts. These potential deals were seen as problematic for an industry that has experienced severe reductions over the last few years.
Similar to major studios, traditional TV channels have struggled as the viewers has increasingly opted for on-demand video as an alternative.
YouTube obtaining the license to the Academy Awards clearly signals that the dominance of online services will continue increasing.
